I know the Forum is under renovations, but already it feels like we've been on the road for like FOREVER. Just two more games before we finally get our home opener next Monday.

This is the first time we play the Islanders this year with the 2nd one coming up at home next week. Last year the Islanders won three out of the four games we played but it's a fresh start now. Though the Lightning are 1-1-1 now, it's only three games into the season, so don't fret.

For the first two games of the season the Islanders have started Al Montoya instead of DiPietro or Nabokov, and he'll get the start again tonight with Nabokov backing him up. For the record, DiPietro is possibly hurt, again. Enjoy laughing until the game starts

"We missed him the first month and a half of the year (last season), and it looks like we're going to miss him for the first month and a half, two months of the year," Boucher said. "So it hurts because what it does, we have to put (Victor) Hedman against the top lines, not that he can't do the job, he's been our best defenceman. It asks a lot of other guys that are not really in some of the spots (they) should be in...

"All I know is we've got a guy that plays against the top lines that we don't have. And you can't replace that. It' really puts a major hole in you're lineup and we've got a major hole in our lineup.

Some of you may be jumping for joy about not seeing Ohlund in the line-up for a while, but I think this will be a huge loss to the team. The defence is already pretty weak, and although he may be slowing down, Ohlund is still a solid defenceman. He is able to take pressure off of the other pairings as he can be matched up against top lines of the opposing teams. As Puck Daddy points out, Ohlund was a huge part of why our penalty killing was so good in the playoffs.

As Boucher points out, this means that Hedman will be matched up instead as he has been with Brewer over the last two games. The major implication is not on Hedman skating more minutes but on players in the bottom pairing playing more minutes, and have you seen Gilroy skate out there?
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Enemy Blog: Head over to Days of Y'Orr for your opposition blog coverage

Game time: 7:00pm EST on SUN (HD), NHLN-US

After watching 7 games of these two teams in the playoffs last year, can we get more of the same tonight? Tonight should be a good one with the two meeting early in the season after going the distance in the playoffs. The Bruins opened on Thursday, took 2 hours to raise their banner and then lost to the Flyers.

After playing last night, the Lightning will have a few changes in their line-up. Garon will be in for Roloson and my rookie all-star from last night Jones is out for tonight in place of Pyatt. Give me strength to not throw my laptop out the wind down every time Chief calls him Pie-yett throughout the night.

First off, Shanahan is a stud. We really could end this post right here but let's go on and share the newest video, this one pertaining to our teams.

Today's video was about Ryan Malone's non-suspension after his hit on Chris Campoli. I actually thought that at the rate suspensions were being given out Malone would have had one coming to him. Since the Lightning won't play until Friday, I had expected this one to take a few days but the NHL was quick today in addressing the hit and why they didn't feel it was a suspension.

After watching the video, great judgement by the NHL. Also great to have Malone suited up for the first game of the season.

Connolly

Brett Connolly had a bit of a Q&A today via the Lightning twitter. You can read his answers here but to save you time, they all go a little like "the guys have been great", "a lot of fun", "exciting" blah blah blah.

Today someone asked on twitter whether anyone thinks Connolly will stay up with the team for the whole year?

My first thought was that I hope he does. But then again, another year in juniors would not hurt either. Not that they are the same caliber in player, but I wouldn't want to rush Connolly like Wright was rushed when he was allowed to stay up with the club during the Tocchet season. And where is Wright now? Yeah, still in the AHL.

Connolly is different though. He's got a better skill set and has been so dedicated to working hard to meet the team. From the Vancouver Sun, Connolly left his home for the summer to train with trainer Peter Renzetti in Toronto. He's put on 10 lbs of weight but seems so much bigger and stronger because of it.

On Wednesday the Lightning will need to cut their roster by two players, and I'm thinking he stays. But just because he'll start with the The Lightning doesn't mean he'll spend the whole year with the team. The Lightning still have 9 games to decide whether they want to keep him up all year with the team and burn through his first year of his contract, or whether they opt to send him back to Prince George.

Ohlund on the IR

As per Cristodero, Ohlund will start the season on the IR. The IR is retroactive to Thursday and lasts a minimum of 7 days. Thought he'll be eligible to play in the season opener in Carolina, I think it's pretty doubtful that we'll seem him on Friday. Let's all curse him and his contract right now. Might as well get warmed up at it since we'll be doing it all season when he skate slowly across the ice.
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The Lightning have had a few days between pre-season games and get back at it tonight. They have two games left, both being against the Montreal Canadiens. Tonight's game will be in Montreal at the Bell Centre and Saturday's will be in Quebec City at the Colisee Pepsi.

So what have they been doing for the last few days?

Well we know that they were in Mont Tremblant doing team building exercises. Since most of you are not familiar, Mont Tremblant is a ski resort during the winter with outdoor activities like golf and hiking during the summer. Last year's team building consisted of a paintball outing but this years' seems to be a lot more cerebral.

Via the Montreal Gazette, they folded sweaters and looked at "threedimensional drawing and re-create the shape using blocks". Lecavalier eloquently described it as "thinking stuff".

They had a variety of challenges to complete in small teams with the winning team getting a maple leaf shaped bottle of syrup. No seriously, that was the prize. Read the full story over at the Montreal Gazette.

The team also ended up donating equipment that was used during the challenges to the Tremblant Minor Hockey Association.

Puck drop for tonights game is at 7:30pm and can be see on NHLN-US, RDS and TSN.no comments

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